Later tonight, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee will release their second set of rankings.
While it has just been a week since the initial rankings, much has changed in the college football world in a short period of time.
Indiana survived by a toe tap against Penn State, but will the Committee dock the Hoosiers in the rankings after that one-score win? In a huge Big 12 game on Saturday, Texas Tech knocked BYU from the list of unbeatens, a loss that might see the Cougars tumble later tonight. How will the Committee view Oregon’s 18-16 win over Iowa?
And then there is the ACC. In the initial set of rankings, Virginia clocked in at No. 14 and was the conference’s lone representative in the bracket, while Louisville came in at No. 15. With Virginia losing to Wake Forest and Louisville losing to California, the door seems open for Georgia Tech, or even Miami, to get into the bracket.
We’ll dive into the rankings and the hypothetical bracket shortly after they go live, but for now here is a look back at how the College Football Playoff Selection Committee ranked the teams a week ago.
What is the Top 25 this week?
1. Ohio State (9-0)
2. Indiana (10-0)
3. Texas A&M (9-0)
4. Alabama (8-1)
5. Georgia (8-1)
6. Texas Tech (9-1)
7. Ole Miss (9-1)
8. Oregon (8-1)
9. Notre Dame (7-2)
10. Texas (7-2)
11. Oklahoma (7-2)
12. BYU (8-1)
13. Utah (7-2)
14. Vanderbilt (8-2)
15. Miami (7-2)
16. Georgia Tech (8-1)
17. USC (7-2)
18. Michigan (7-2)
19. Virginia (8-2)
20. Louisville (7-2)
21. Iowa (6-3)
22. Pittsburgh (7-2)
23. Tennessee (6-3)
24. South Florida (7-2)
25. Cincinnati (7-2)
What 12 teams would be in the CFP?
1. Ohio State
A win over Purdue keeps the Buckeyes atop the rankings. Ohio State is at home for its next two games (UCLA and Rutgers) before the annual clash with Michigan.
2. Indiana
Survive and advance, right? Indiana found a way against Penn State at the death, and the Hoosiers have a home date with Wisconsin to get right before traveling to Purdue to close out the season.
3. Texas A&M
Last week, Mack Rhoades, the Selection Committee Chair, noted that “you’re talking about small margins when you think about the difference between Ohio State, Indiana, and A&M.”
Still, the margins were not enough for Indiana’s narrow win over Penn State to bump the Aggies up a spot.
4. Alabama
The Crimson Tide took care of business against LSU, but a big test comes this weekend when Alabama welcomes Oklahoma to Bryant-Denny Stadium.
5. Georgia
The Bulldogs cruised to a 20-point win over Mississippi State, but this week’s date with Texas has the feel of a playoff game in November. In particular, the game is critical for the Longhorns’ chances of making the field.
6. Texas Tech
The Red Raiders dominated BYU last week, building a 26-0 lead into the fourth quarter.
That was enough for the Committee to move Texas Tech up a spot.
7. Ole Miss
Mississippi took care of business against FCS opponent The Citadel last week.
But it dropped them a spot behind Texas Tech.
Still, Florida and then the Egg Bowl left to close out the slate, a one-loss regular season is in sight.
8. Oregon
Oregon found a way Saturday night at Kinnick Stadium, outlasting Iowa by a final score of 18-16. They might get frozen out of a Big Ten Championship Game, but ending the year against Minnesota and a pair of ranked opponents in USC and Washington gives the Ducks two more chances to impress.
9. Notre Dame
Notre Dame took care of Navy at home last week, and now they face their final ranked opponent of the season with a trip to Pittsburgh. This is likely their last chance to impress the Committee before closing out the year against Syracuse and Stanford, so Notre Dame best make it count.
10. Texas
The Longhorns are coming off a bye and face a critical game against Georgia. A win over the Bulldogs keeps their chances at the CFP alive, but a loss drops their odds significantly. Still, their regular season finale with Texas A&M is another great opportunity to bolster their resume.
11. Miami
Last week, Virginia secured the ACC’s lone spot in the hypothetical College Football Playoff with a No. 14 ranking, followed by Louisville at No. 15.
But with both those teams losing, the door opened for another ACC team to claim that spot, and Miami burst through that opening for this week. The Hurricanes got off to a hot start this season, and a win over Notre Dame to open the year looks impressive, but losses to Louisville and SMU have dimmed their playoff hopes.
They are in for the moment, but still face an uphill climb just to get to the ACC title game, as they are looking up at five teams with just one conference loss (Georgia Tech, Virginia, Pittsburgh, SMU, and Duke).
12. South Florida
A week ago, Memphis claimed the spot in the bracket reserved for the highest-ranked conference champion from the Group of Five, but with the Tigers losing to Tulane, the door opened for a new AAC representative.
Enter South Florida. The Bulls started hot, beating then-ranked Boise State and Florida to open the year, but a loss to Miami and then a loss to Memphis a few weeks ago saw South Florida slide a bit in the conference standings. But with both Navy and Memphis losing last week, the Bulls are in … for now.
This week’s date with the Midshipmen is massive for both teams.
What would the bracket be with these rankings?
With these rankings, this would be the College Football Playoff Bracket:
What were the rankings last week?
Here is how the College Football Playoff Selection Committee ranked the Top 25 in the initial rankings, released a week ago:
1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Texas A&M
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Mississippi
7. BYU
8. Texas Tech
9. Oregon
10. Notre Dame
11. Texas
12. Oklahoma
13. Utah
14. Virginia
15. Louisville
16. Vanderbilt
17. Georgia Tech
18. Miami
19. USC
20. Iowa
21. Michigan
22. Missouri
23. Washington
24. Pittsburgh
25. Tennessee
Who were the 12 teams in the bracket last week?
Here were the 12 teams in the hypothetical College Football Playoff based on the Committee’s rankings from a week ago:
1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Texas A&M
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Mississippi
7. BYU
8. Texas Tech
9. Oregon
10. Notre Dame
11. Virginia
12. Memphis
What was the hypothetical bracket last week?
Here is what the bracket looked like after the first set of rankings from the Committee: